Prevention across the Aisle: Reclaiming Prevention as a Nonpartisan Issue

Public support for community prevention remains high across the country–with nearly seventy-five percent of the American people backing community prevention. Public support is even stronger for the kinds of innovative efforts already underway in communities across the country, including bringing more fresh fruits and vegetables into neighborhoods, providing healthier lunches for kids, and banning smoking from public places.

Despite broad public support, dedicated federal funding for prevention–made available through the Affordable Care Act–is viewed as politically contentious. Prior to the passage of the ACA, prevention was supported by both Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals. Given the role of community prevention in shaping healthier, safer and more equitable community environments, all while reducing unnecessary healthcare costs, it is imperative that public health advocates are able to effectively communicate that prevention is in no way a partisan issue.

In this session, participants will learn key messaging strategies to elevate, frame, and promote community prevention successes in order to reach out across the aisle. By demonstrating the real-world impact, benefits, and values of community prevention initiatives, participants will learn how to effectively leverage messaging strategies to protect, promote, and advance primary prevention efforts across the country. Finally, this session will address some of the key arguments made against prevention and public health programs–namely the government's role in public health–equipping participants with tips and lessons learned on how to effectively address such criticisms.